Wednesday, October 21

This year I'm all about taking better care of myself. And I don't just mean by eating better (although I'm a constant work in progress where nutrition is concerned) or working out, I mean by really taking care of my SELF.

Self care is something we don't strive to become better at. And as women (and, cough, moms, cough) we usually let self care come in last on a long list of daily to-do's. Take care of the kids, the house, your relationships, manage your friendships, your finances, your Facebook for heavens sake. But take care of ourselves? We just can't find the time. Or we're too tired from all the other crap we did that day. You know what I'm saying?

So this year I'm calling bullshit on myself (because heaven knows we all MAKE time for the things we want to. I'm looking at you Bachelor marathoners) and making a priority to take better care of the self that I am. One of the simple ways that I'm making it a priority every day is to have a what I call a "SERENITY SWITCH" that happens in our house every evening.

Every night when our son goes to bed we make him pick up all his toys. We make him take any of his dirty dishes to the sink. And then after he's tucked away I spend about 5 minutes flipping the switch in our living room to make it serene and relaxing. For me that means cleaning up clutter, wiping down any messes our 3 year old left on our coffee table, brewing tea, and lighting candles and incense. I also switch our main living room lights off and plug in the twinkle lights we have strung all around.

It might sound silly but it makes a huge difference in my mood! The space instantly opens up and all at the same time feels cozy. It feels like adults live here again and we aren't tripping over micro machines and hiding in corners of the sofa that aren't overrun by toys and kid stuff.

I promise you, you'll feel a difference. And who knows where it will lead you? Maybe you'll sleep better. Maybe your stress levels will go way down. Maybe you'll feel more rejuvenated the next day. Maybe you'll connect more with your spouse. Why not give it a try?

Here's my top 3 tips for helping you flip the Serenity Switch in your home...

1. GATHER THE TROOPS - if you live with others, share with them that you need this and enlist their help to clean up the clutter. Make kids put their stuff away before bed or help with the cleaning. Ask your spouse or roommate to pick up their shit too. It will take 5 minutes if everyone pitches in!
2. CLEAN THE CLUTTER - clutter is the number one factor in my feeling overwhelmed at home. When everything is in it's place, or at least sorted into piles somewhere else, I can relax. Sweep like a tornado through your living space and de-clutter. No mercy.
3. SET THE MOOD - aromatherapy, candles, incense, low light, twinkle lights. You get the idea. (This is actually a bit scientific. It falls into line with our natural Circadian Rhythms which helps us to relax when it's time to relax and be alert when it's time to be alert. Insert the *More You Know* jingle here.)

Luckily, Beachbody always feeds us incredibly well and gives us lots of little breaks.

I loved that all the catered meals had 21 Day Fix style breakdowns of the portion count! Handy.

A team building morning took us to the Pacific coast for all kinds of challenges in the sand

And we couldn't help celebrating a year of incredible growth and the ENGAGEMENT of one of our friends!!!! Don't worry, I got gluten free cupcakes. ;)

For the final event Beachbody threw an outrageous "Arabian Nights" themed party!

Leadership 2015 was an absolutely incredible experience! To be honored by the corporate members of a billion dollar company as leaders and treated to sneak peeks, state of the company information, a heads up for the roll out of products and programs through the next year, celebrations with all kinds of special surprises, and lots of time to connect and build deeper friendships with our coach friends from all over, this was by far one of my favorite experiences I've had yet as a coach!

Two years ago when I made the decision to dive into coaching and at the same time to my own health and fitness journey, I always knew the potential, but I never imagined how fulfilled, happy, passionate, and grateful the entire experience would make me. I know without any doubt that I am on the right path for my life and even though I would have never even imagined this career for myself, I know there couldn't be a more perfect fit for me! To combine my passions for inspiring other women to live their best, most beautiful, most fulfilling, most vibrant lives, and helping others to believe in themselves... I couldn't ask for a more perfect fit. Thank you Universe for letting me stumble into this life changing course for myself!

Leadership will always be on my "must accomplish" set of goals each year. I wonder who I'll get to take with me next year? Will it be you? Click the "Join My Tribe" button at the top of the page if you want to learn more about what I do and see if joining in might be a right next step for you in your life!

Thursday, October 8

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." - Anne of Green Gables

Even though it might not *feel* like fall where I live, the season is upon us with pumpkin spiced EVERYTHING everywhere I look. But you know I'm all about healthier options so I put together a master list of my favorite 20 smoothie recipes inspired by all the flavors floating around this time of year. I have a goal to not gain any weight between now and the end of the year so Shakeology is clutch for me because it is a dense nutrition shake that fills all the gaps in my daily nutrition so that my body is fueled with superfoods, vitamins, protein, and even gut-helping probiotics. It's my supplement of choice and for the last two years it has been my secret weapon in helping me lose 70 pounds. Remember to be careful with your add ins if you are counting your sugar or carbs. Also, you can substitute other liquids like cashew milk, water, or flavored almond milks for the liquids I wrote in. And feel free to add more ice if you like your smoothies extra thick! (Also, duh, this post contains affiliate links.)

(If you want to try Shakeology this month you can actually get the entire 21 Day Fix program (plus containers and a cooler-style tote bag for just $10 more with this discount code: US link, Canadian link and you'll gain admission to my online accountability group to help you stay on track with your fitness goals this month! Just email me after you order of if you have questions!)

Monday, October 5

"Tell me, what do you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

- Mary Oliver

Let me start by saying that I never thought this would be a blog post I'd be writing. It's funny the way life works sometimes isn't it? I never thought this would be the HOW to get me to the WHAT. But the what was always in the back of my mind. You see, I've always loved to travel, and I'd rather spend my money on an experience than a thing more times than not. When my husband married me he was shocked to discover that I started to get ancy if we didn't go on some sort of trip every few months. Nothing crazy, a road trip, a weekend trip, a day away from our own town exploring new things... I like seeing this beautiful world. And I want to see as much of it as I can in my lifetime!

Have you ever seen something so beautiful that you had an emotional reaction to it? Like the stars and the air and the sound of the waves and the height of that mountain are just so incredible that your soul starts to leak out of your eyes a little bit just to be closer to them? I feel that way almost every time we travel. I like to touch the rocks and feel the history. I like to imagine the generations of people who stepped in that spot before, the lifetimes of stories and memories and hopes and dreams and tough times represented in a single place. It makes me feel big and small all at one time. We knew we wanted to travel as much as possible. But we never knew how we would accomplish it. Until now.

We are hitting the road!!!

I can't share much more about it just yet since details are not finalized and I'm superstitious about that sort of thing. But don't worry, as soon as I can I'll shout it from the rooftops because I hate having to keep secrets and it's killing me to be so excited about something I can't really share about yet!

Back to this truck situation! I never thought I'd be the owner of a truck like this, or to have the reasons to buy it but I'm so excited and feeling so blessed that because of my coaching business we are now going to be able to not only have the freedom in our schedule to be able to hit the road but also the means to be able to make it happen financially! I wasn't sure how to even begin to talk about this but I want to share in case my story can help inspire someone else to see that they have within them the capability to change their life too!

Two years ago this would never have been a possibility. Both because of our jobs and because we were on a tight budget with no wiggle room for big purchases or anything that had the potential to cause unpredictability in the future. We had bad credit and debt and felt very stuck in the fact that we couldn't seem to get ahead no matter how hard we were working. Every trip we took we had to book jobs while we were traveling to finance it which was a blessing but also a huge stress to never actually get to fully be on vacation or relaxed. To always have to worry about carting our gear around and to have to be working on every trip. As much as we loved what we were doing, we also longed to be able to be free to travel with no strings attached.

When I first started my business I saw stories of peers who were doing incredible things beyond just getting healthy and inspiring other people to get healthy too. But they were paying off debt, paying off their homes, able to finally buy their family a nice car. And I saw that and I'll be honest, part of me thought "HECK YES!" and another small part of me thought, "But that's them, not you." Luckily, every day since then I've told that other small part of me to shut up and step aside because I've got no time for those limiting self beliefs anymore! And neither should you!

This truck is a HUGE milestone in our life for a few reasons. Number 1 because it is something we would have NEVER been able to do two years ago. We would have never been approved for it. We would have never been able to put down a generous down payment. And we would never have been able to have a plan in place to pay it completely off in less than a year. This strategic move to help improve our credit so that we can buy a home next year would NEVER have been a possibility and we feel soooooo happy that we can do this for our family! (I am so excited for the future post when I get to triumphantly exclaim that this bad boy is paid off! Be on the lookout for that one in 2016!)

So we are now the proud owners of what I am affectionately calling THE BEAST and we can't wait for all that it will drive us to! Yesterday while we were riding around with the windows down I got teary eyed and looked at Nate and said, "We are going to see oceans, and mountains, and glaciers, and world wonders out these very windows in these very seats!" And he smiled back because it's true. We are going to be able to create experiences and memories for our family that we never imagined possible.

It really just goes to show that sometimes the answer doesn't show up in the form you think it might. Coaching was not what I was expecting to be the path that would take my life and flip it upside down. I never thought hitting the road would be how we were able to experience travel in the ways that we always hoped and dreamed we'd be able to. But here we are. Keep your eyes open to the opportunities that knock on your door. Or, that you stumble upon. You never know when it's going to be the answer you didn't even know you were looking for!

And stay tuned for part 2 where I share the rest of the story! AHHH! I'm so excited!

Beachbody does not guarantee any level of success or income from the Team Beachbody Coach Opportunity. Each Coach’s income depends on his or her own efforts, diligence, and skill. For more information see the Beachbody Statement of Independent Coach Earnings

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This blog contains affiliate links. All content is copyright and owned by Becka Robinson and Robinson Creative LLC unless otherwise stated. You may not take images or content from this site without written permission.

I am an Independent Team Beachbody Coach and this blog contains affiliate links from which I earn a small commission but I never recommend anything I don't fully believe in or have tried and loved myself.

All rights reserved. Results may vary. Exercise and proper diet are necessary to achieve and maintain weight loss and muscle definition. Consult your physician and follow all safety instructions before beginning any exercise program or using any supplement or meal replacement product. The information here is not intended to diagnose any medical condition or to replace the advice of a healthcare professional. If you experience any pain or difficulty with exercises or diet, stop and consult your healthcare provider.

Beachbody does not guarantee any level of success or income from the Team Beachbody Coach Opportunity. Each Coach’s income depends on his or her own efforts, diligence, and skill. For more information see the Beachbody Statement of Independent Coach Earnings